"The county covers 845 square miles. The terrain is flat, with elevations ranging from 200 to 400 feet."Originally the site of the future Jim Wells County fell under the jurisdiction of San Patricio County, but a short time later it was incorporated into newly formed Nueces County."Collins, the first sizable American settlement, was established in 1878."But a few years later, when the Texas and New Orleans bypassed the town, the buildings were loaded onto train cars and moved to the junction of the new road with the Texas-Mexican Railway, three miles to the west. The new town, originally known as Bandana, was renamed Alice [in honor of Alice Gertrudis King Kleberg, Kleberg's wife and the daughter of Richard King.]"Because of the long distance residents had to travel in order to conduct business at the county seat in Corpus Christi, they petitioned for the formation of a separate county. The request was approved by the legislature in early 1911 ..."The new county was formally organized in 1912, and named for James B. Wells, Jr., who played an important role in the economic development of the lower Rio Grande valley."​Alicia A. Garza, "JIM WELLS COUNTY," Handbook of Texas Online

I visited Jim Wells County and photographed the courthouse in Alice on September 24 and 25, 2010 and June 6, 2017.

Jim Wells County is long and tall.

The Kansas City Southern RR station in Alice. The railroad crosses south central Texas and enters Mexico at Laredo.

Jim Wells County Courthouse 1912

This is a design in search of a style. San Antonio architect Atlee Ayres, with the help of George Willis, who had worked for four years with Frank Lloyd Wright, created a neo-classical building with Mediterranean influences and a touch of the prairie style. Then, in 1948, a pair of modern bookends were added on the east and west sides of the building, resulting in, well, a stylistic mess. Most unfortunately, the massive piers that flanked the four entrances were removed during the process. Architect Addis E. Noonan and Associates of San Antonio were responsible for the additions and remodeling.

"before"

"after"

The courthouse occupies the center of a city block. The front faces south, on E 2nd Street.

The courthouse dome. It's past time for a restoration.

The south facade. The 1913 building is flanked on the left by a 1948 addition.

The front steps of the courthouse face a lush, shaded lawn.

A full restoration, including removal of the modern, 1948 wings and re-creation of the original facades would be most welcome.